The book discussed in this interview is How Not To Be Wrong: The Power of Mathematical Thinking(Penguin Press, 2014), by Jordan Ellenberg. This is one of those rare books that belong on the reading list of every educated person, especially those who love mathematics, but more importantly, those who hate it. Ellenberg succeeds in explaining the value of mathematical reasoning without ever needing to go into technical detail, which makes the book ideal for those who want to learn why mathematics is so important. What makes the book doubly delightful is Ellenberg’s writing style; he intersperses the math with amusing anecdotes, dispensed with a sense of humor rarely found in books such as this. The book is chock-full of OMG moments; the introductory anecdote about Abraham Wald and the missing bullet holes absolutely whets the appetite for more and Ellenberg never fails to deliver.

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Six West Point cadets stole the Navy's mascot "Bill the Goat" before the Army-Navy game in 1965. They didn't get caught, but they all got sent to Vietnam. Tom Carhart, one of their number, tells the story in this terrific book.